Just the other day, a colleague of mine asked to meet me ostensibly to ask my advice about an upcoming client engagement. Flattered that he would value my opinion, I agreed. When we were done talking, I didn’t think I really added much – but it was immensely helpful for him to be able to talk it through. By having to describe and explain his ideas to another human being helped to clarify his thinking.
Similarly, I have been reorganizing my office. Some people do a “spring cleaning”. I do a “first month of the new year” cleaning where I throw out old files etc. – essentially decluttering my life. We have been in our Scottsdale, AZ house for about 3 years now, and the bookshelves were starting to overflow, CDs and DVDs were on different bookshelves – I think you are getting the idea. So this past week, I have been reorganizing the office – typically in the evening when I don’t have many brain cells left and can’t do any “real” work!
And I got stuck. I have various options (move this here, add another shelf there) and I decided to wait until my husband came home from a business trip. When I started to explain my problem to Joseph, the answer emerged from my subconscious, and we agreed on the path forward.
It’s the same kind of experience. Talking it through to another person you respect helps you crystalize your ideas.
So, when you get stuck, find someone you respect. Someone whose opinions you value, and just talk it through.
